She sighed and looked around the dusty parlour. “I think you need a maid more than you need a wife. What happened to this place?”
“We were away. Our help deserted us. Unfortunately, it is not easy to find servants who can adapt to our household. Fae work well, but they were threatened in our absence. I don’t blame them for leaving. About my offer—”
“I’ll entertain it, but I need some answers first. Who is Naturu? You didn’t seem surprised by him.”
He clearly disliked the subject change, but he humoured her. “He is the brother of our matriarch. The house, you know.”
“No, I don’t know. What about it?” she asked, slightly irritated. “There seems to be an unspoken assumption around here that I know things. Maybe you’d better back up and give me some of the history of this place.”
He thought for a moment. “Very well. It might help simplify things.
“Many years ago, there was a fae named Hyani. As a child, she played with the young of a clan of shape-shifters. Eventually, she came to love a young shifter named Traic.
“Her family did not approve. They forbade her to be with him. Instead of obeying them, she ran away to be with her love. By the time their hiding place was discovered, they had already produced three children. Her parents, while angered, did not want to discipline their beloved daughter. Not all fae felt the same way.
“There was war. Traic was killed in battle, but his friends the gargoyles helped Hyani and the children escape. They fled to the mortal world, but Hyani could not overcome her grief. In her despair, she transformed herself into a form that could shelter her children, but would be unable to suffer the pain of loss. She became this house.”
Jordon blinked. “She became ahouse? How is that possible?” She looked around, trying to see a living being in the walls around her. It looked ordinary enough to her, if richly appointed and rather dusty.
Griffin shook his head. “After all you’ve seen, how can you doubt? Have faith that the house is what remains of our ancestor.
“It is said that the ladies of the house sometimes hear her guidance. I wouldn’t doubt she had a hand in bringing you here. It’s been a long time since there was a woman she could talk to.”
“Mrs Y. is here,” Jordon pointed out.
He smiled. “Mrs Y. is extraordinary, but she is not family.” Before she could comment on that, he went on, “Hyani’s children were of mixed blood and inherited long life, something that infuriated the fae, who were jealous of the gifts. They did not want to see mortals rival them in any way. There has been strife between the two races ever since, though the fae are careful never to attack Hyani in any way that would raise the ire of her family, for fae children are rare, and she is still much loved by her parents.
“Her brother is not as reserved. Although he seems to care for his sister and is thought to commune with her still, he considers her children to be freaks. We’ve suspected that he works with her enemies. The attempt on your life seems to confirm it. I think he knew you were someone of interest to Hyani, a possible successor. She has been known to matchmake before, very successfully. He would not like to see another mated pair.” He smiled. “He was right to be afraid.”
Jordon tried not to squirm. “You don’t know that’s what’s going on.”
“It seems logical. Which brings me back to the point. Will you marry me, Jordon?”
Jordon tapped her back teeth together. “I’ve not given up on going home, you know. If the house could bring me here, she could send me back. All I have to do is convince her.”
“Luck with that,” he said, not in the least upset. “She’s not known to change her mind. I’m interested to know how you would plan to raise a griffin child alone, by the way. They tend to be headstrong. She would need guidance.”
“What makes you think it would be a she?”
He smiled. “Most first children tend to be, in honour of their grandmother. I would be pleased with a boy or a girl. I would enjoy being a father.”
She didn’t appreciate him being so nice about this. It made him harder to deal with. “You don’t know that I’m pregnant. In light of that and the fact that we hardly know each other, I think marriage is fairly premature. You don’t even know that we’re well suited.”
“Hm.” He stared thoughtfully at the mantel. “A valid point. I propose a courtship period, then. What say you to a month? Surely that would be long enough to give you an idea of my character.”
Jordon didn’t recall specifically agreeing to his request. He somehow managed to make it seem as if she had. He even went so far as to formally introduce her as his fiancée to his brothers at lunch. When she called him on it later, he said, “I’m the confident sort.”
She took it to mean that he was arrogant beyond measure.
Servants began to appear at the house over the next few hours. Jordon couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was odd about them, though Griffin informed her they were the fae who had formerly served in the house. Noses were too big on some, fingers too long on others, as if they couldn’t quite master the nuances of the human form. Seeing them cleaning industriously made her wonder, though. “How long were you gone, Griffin? A couple of months?”
He shrugged. “Oh, fifty years or so. They get touchy if you’re gone for a while, and we’ve been home only a matter of days. Now that we’re here, Mrs Y. has set about coaxing them home.”
She stared at his face. Considering he didn’t look older than thirty, that seemed amazing. It was not something she feltcomfortable asking about just then, however. There was something more pressing she wanted to know. “Tell me about the gargoyles.”
He looked thoughtful. “I could show you instead. You seem brave enough to handle it.” He smiled, but it slowly faded. He looked at her seriously. “There are other things you should know, too.”
She was wary. “Like what?”
